Chances are that even the most hardcore International cricket fan would only be able to name a handful of Canadian cricketers. Most likely, John Davison would be the first name that would come to mind.

He made 111 from 76 balls (Canada only scored 202 and were bowled out in 44 overs). [Scorecard] A fantastic personal achievement but also a great inspiration for his team mates and the next generation of Canadian Cricketers.

JD grew up playing Cricket in Australia but playing for Canada allowed him ‘opportunities that he wouldn’t be able to achieve in Australia, like opening the batting (in a WC match).’ He was one of the first professional cricketers to play for Canada and quickly let his team mates know that being happy being ‘part-time cricketers’ wasn’t good enough if they wanted to compete on the big stage.

This Friday night, May 10th 2013, the Toronto Cricket Club will be inducting him into their Wall of Fame. JD spent a few years at TCSCC later in his career as the club coach/playing professional. John Davison will be honoured as well as long-time TCSCC member Chris Chappel and former member Les Pereira.

There are still a few spots remaining but you’ll have to act fast to get a ticket to what should be a great event and a great opportunity to celebrate the career of Canada’s first cricket star. There will be plenty of Canadian Cricketers, including many that were inspired by Davison, or played with him over the the years. Please see the attached invitation and contact Sandy Becher of the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club if you would like to register for this event.

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Canada’s captain, Ashish Bagai has been nominated for the ICC Affiliate/Associate Player of the year award.

Despite being hobbled by a knee injury for much of the year, Bagai has been stellar for Canada in T20 and ODI cricket scoring a healthy 576 runs in 13 innings at a healthy 52.36, which is well above his career averages.

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Former Ontario Cricket Association President Errol Townshend has come to the defense of the current Cricket Canada administration in a letter to Share News stating that declining to host the 2012 ICC U-19 World Cup was the ‘right’ move.

Mr. Townshend was critical of the ‘misinformation’ that is flying around in Canadian cricket circles and also the previous administrations decision to agree to host the tournament in the first place.

Here is the letter in it’s entirety:

‘It’s a measure of the mindlessness and misinformation that pervades Canada’s cricketing community that there is mourning over Cricket Canada’s decision to throw the 2012 Under-19 World Cup back into the laps of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Instead, there should be dancing on the pitches.

It was one of the several dumb decisions taken by the Ben Sennek regime which acquiesced in allowing the ICC to foist this tournament on Canada.

We did not bid for it. We were simply told to host it. To its credit, the Sennek gang insisted the ICC pay a hosting fee. This was more than the previous regime did when, against my advice, it allowed the ICC to bankrupt Canadian cricket by hosting the 2001 ICC Trophy, the senior mini-World Cup for Associate countries.

But the hosting fee this time was still chump change. It took Canada eight years following 2001 to dig itself out of bankruptcy. Hosting this 2012 event would likely have put Cricket Canada right back in a deep financial hole.

That the current Cricket Canada board thought it necessary to approach various levels of government for a whopping $2.5 million to put on this event should have turned on the lights in the heads of all those, like OCA president Mike Kendall, now mourning its loss. This is a youth tournament. There are no superstars. No gate receipts. As we found out in 2001, all major advertising receipts go to the ICC. There is no TV revenue coming to Cricket Canada. It’s all spend, spend, spend. It was destined to be a financial bath from the get-go.

There was mad talk of building turf pitches all over Canada for the event, without so much as a thought as to how they would be maintained. One suspects that many of these intended turf pitches would end up in various stages of deterioration, as is the case with the two at Ross Lord Park in Toronto.

Canada is now the second Associate country in the past two years that agreed to host the World Under-19 Cup but no longer will. Kenya spent oodles of money upgrading its grounds in preparation for this past January’s event only to have it yanked away by the ICC and given to New Zealand. No word about any compensation to Kenya for its troubles.

The ICC, in the hopes of competing with soccer, is trying to make cricket into a world game. The game is being spread into countries, including China, that have no cricketing history. It has sought, within the Associate countries like Canada, to bring a level of professionalism to its administration by paying national coaches, CEOs and granting modest central contracts to the top players. This is commendable. But one of the consequences that should have been anticipated is that once you introduce payment to a few volunteers in a hitherto amateur system, other volunteers will want to be paid as well. Thus, a pittance of a hosting fee paid to a governing national body could never compensate for the enormous outlay required to host such an event.

Debt-ridden Caribbean island governments, especially Jamaica, are still picking up the tab for hosting the 2007 World Cup. Cricket Canada, under Sennek, spent some $250,000 of its own money preparing for that event and received not a penny for its pains. Ireland, which shocked the world by advancing to the Super Eights, went home with pennies in its pocket until an embarrassed ICC cut them a one-off, hush-hush-don’t-cry cheque.

Ireland also had its two top batsmen, Ed Joyce and Eion Morgan, pinched by England under eligibility rules skewed heavily in favour of Test countries.

Canada, whose on-the-field performance is now an international joke, is going to the senior World Cup next year. But the money being spent by ICC in helping Canada and other Associates prepare for this TV extravaganza is mostly to ensure that the matches last the full 100 overs, unlike the disaster in 2003 when Canada was bowled out for 36 in the blink of an eye by Sri Lanka. (Pity those poor sponsors whose TV ads never got aired as a result.) So the money-spinning ICC is not exactly the charitable foundation some of the bird-brains in Canada’s cricket community think it is.

Agreeing to host the 2012 Under-19 World Cup was a huge mistake. Thankfully, Cricket Canada has now corrected it. We should all be rejoicing.’

As a Canadian Cricketer, I’m disappointed that we will not be hosting the World Cup. It would have provided our young players the opportunity to play at home against the top teams in the world.

However, it is important for our National body to think long term and whether it would be able to afford such an event. Obviously there were some doubts within the board, so they’ve done the right thing by allowing the ICC enough time to find an alternate venue and perhaps have earned some respect within the ICC for not putting on a tournament that is not up to International standards.

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The Halton Stars CC and Burlington United CC are looking for a home ground to play at this season. After having fought for 2 years to get the City of Burlington, Ontario to discuss adding a cricket facility, the teams are disappointed in having to play without a ‘home’ ground again.

They will play in Hamilton, Brantford, Oakville and Mississauga at their oppositions home ground negating any home field advantage, and will be paying other municipalities for use of the grounds.

We need more facilities across Canada, and especially in the Greater Toronto Area, to accommodate the demand for Cricket grounds. Cricket is the fastest growing sport in Canada and we need municipal government to cooperate with local clubs to keep up the pace.

Please help them out by signing the petition at the link below.

‘We, the undersigned, call on the City of Burlington to develop a cricket Field in Burlington.

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‘It is with deep regret and a heavy heart that we inform you of the passing away of T&DCA Board member, Mr Norman Jackson. Norman has served on the T&DCA Board for over 25 years and would go down in our history as one of pioneering members who made a significant contribution towards the building of our league. Norman also served on the OCA Board. Norman Jackson lovingly known as Jacko, gave his life to cricket, but has now left us for a better place.

Our heart felt sympathy goes out to his family and the Malton Cricket Club. He will be missed by all.

We will keep you informed of funeral and viewing arrangements as they become available..’

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Cricket Canada is pleased to announce the inaugural episode of ON DRIVE. As part of Cricket Canada Radio, ON DRIVE will provide a behind the scenes look at Cricket Canada by talking to players and administrators from across the country.

The first episode looks at the ICC HP Batting and Bowling Camp, the upcoming tour to Jamaica, and the launch of Cricket Canada’s new poster campaign.